Diego Schwartzman [11] defeats Kyle Edmund 6-1 6-2

It was a match that never really got going for Kyle Edmund. The first set started with a particularly long service game for the Argentine Diego Schwartzman, but once he came through that game unscathed he reeled off ten points in a row to distant himself away from Edmund. That small phase of the match it was mainly characterised by Edmund lashing out at his forehand side and he was extremely reckless with that shot for most of the first set. The aggressive intent was always there, but he was creating a lot of unforced errors in the first and second shot of a rally, which emphasises that he certainly was not near his best.

After Schwartzman’s first service game he only lost the single point on serve for the remainder of the set, but the toughest resistance from Edmund came at the beginning of the second set. During the first four games of the second set Edmund was playing with slightly more confidence, he was playing the points with a clearer strategy and he was constructing his points far better.

He realised that it would not take one single, aggressive forehand to win the point, but he would have to mentally prepare for three, four or maybe five to settle the point, but Edmund is not usually accustomed to players getting so many of his ultra-aggressive forehands back into the court. It felt like a really difficult match-up for Edmund.

Schwartzman got the first break of the second set in the fifth game, but this was through the Argentine realising that Edmund had got better, cut the unforced errors out slightly and he ensured he played even better to push home the advantage. The defensive resilience of Schwartzman got even better and it forced Edmund into making more errors once again. The first set was about Edmund’s shortcomings, but the second set was mostly to do with the great attributes that really has pushed Schwartzman into the Top 15.

The World No.12 showed his quality towards the end and he beat down Edmund’s backhand side. That side has come on leaps and bounds in the last twelve months, but what today’s performance and result showed was that Edmund needs his forehand firing on all cylinders to be able to play his best tennis. The backhand is better than it was, but it simply will not carry him through tennis matches. Schwartzman recognised and used it to his advantage to soundly beat Edmund with the loss of just three games.

Edmund will next play in the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, where he will be seeded there for the first time.